128 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sett. 14. 1882, 



fog mfd 



Opkn Seasons.— t&etatiU of open awmM for gam awiji&h 



• July 20, 

 GAME IN SEASON IN SEPTEMBER. 



Alabama- P.>v.s: ilStli. i|iinib. 

 California I'vi-. .Lues; ,l.Uli. 



prnilse. rail, ,|iiail. wiMfowli. 

 (.'nlora.lii l'ivr. .11;. anU'lope. 



mountain slir-'p. hulfalo, I.isi.n. 



Conncctloul Wildfowl; ir.'ih. 



. quail, snipe, cm 



.le.iek. rail. reed. 

 inbia-Wooucocl 

 . wil.l.mwl. pinn: 



.■ail». 

 Dakota Q 



„■!.-.,. 1, .- 

 il. deer. 



■I. squli* 



■:: wil.If...\ I. pin- 

 it. wild turkey, 

 icff, wildfowl, 



■ i il.l 

 l-iiiu'.-.l grouse, '.vi.oilc.iek. 



d Huffed gr iuse, wood 



I : >ii-" ■■! grotise, 

 ode, wildfowl, ilo' ' 



a. 1,1 



iocU, 



Ten 



(lath 



,-,ail. 



il. 



ruffed 



sola - Grouse, woodcock, 



I wildfowl, 



Sppi i:.ili. meadow lark, 



lark, woodcnck. wild turkey). 



Texas— Pi-i-r. ruffed and piunaled 

 mouse, quail. 



Utah-Elk, deer, antelope, moun- 

 tain sheep, grouse, quail, wild- 



fowl. 



New HruiiKwii'k W.,.,.le.,cl., ,-■ 1 1. 1 

 t'..\\ I. snipe; d.Vh. iiiue 



.Sen Jersej Reed birds ... 

 squrrel 



(frouse, woocl- 

 rrouse, wildfowl, 

 Itory— Deer, elk, 



... i-ii.. antelope, 

 and goat, deei 



. curlew, snipe 

 d Stream Selied 



AN AMATEUR GUNMAKER. 



READERS©! Ha- Pobhsi ujd SiHEAHtrrmj recallunri 

 tice which appeared in these cnlumnp some linn alnci 



i- work ..I Prof Win. H Hall, of Lantsaster. Pa as 



in amateur gunmaker. "We have just had 1 1n- pleasure of 

 examining two flew guns recently completed bj IVii. II, .il 

 which embody in their plan something entirely novel in ih. 

 constructional: firearms. We a re aware that this, is saying 

 a great deal, for a vast amount of inventive ingenuity has 

 been expended upon such work. The records (if the Patent 

 Office hi Washington contain thousand* of specifications of 

 inventions designed to improve, the various styles of lire- 

 arms; and efforts in this direction have never been more 

 active than during the last few years since the introduction 

 and adoption of the breech-loading systems. In the matter 

 of a breech-loading small arm alone, there -were filed more 

 than live hundred inventions in the years of the war and 

 up to 1871. 



Several of the novelties and improvements in the construc- 

 tion of firearms have been conceived by persons who were 

 not regular gunmakers. Another fact which is illustrated 

 hy the present instance is I his. that men who are endowed 

 willi -p rial musical gills are apt to be also gifted with me- 

 chanical ingenuity 



Prof, Hall is a teaclur oi' vocal music, having for along 

 time li.ld that chair in the State Normal School at Indiana, 

 Pa, With him mechanical work has been a passion from 

 boyhood. Some years ago he fUted up a room at his home 

 as a workshop, fitting it out with an extensive assortment of 

 tools, many Of which, true to his bent, he made himself, 

 In this workshop the most of his leisure time has been 

 spent, making this or thai article, as his fancy dictated. 



Having been a sportsman from early youth — his first bunt- 

 ing- grounds were in that sportsmen's stronghold, Western 

 New" Vork— it was bul natural that Prof, Hall'- mechanical 

 genius should be directed 10 the shotgun. Some seven years 

 ago he determined thai the only gun for him to use in the 

 field was one which should have been constructed by his 

 own hands. Acting on this happy thought, he secured a 

 pair of barrels in the rough, and having made his own lock 

 and Die other pari-, titled them together. This flrsl gnn, 

 like several others that followed, was simply a copy, huili. 

 on Hie model ol guns of well-known makers, lie was Soon' 

 convinced, however, thai the mechanism of these models 

 wns loo complicated, especially in the lock-. Id- accord 

 oi to study Hie problem presented, and drew 

 several patterns of new devices, all the time aiming tore 

 due- i|„ number of pieces to the minimum consistent with 

 strength and safe! v. The result now attained is .-Iuavii in 

 tlie Willis inspected by us 1,-i-t week. One oi these i- a semi- 

 hammer gun, the rebounding lock of which consists Of five 

 piect - : and the other a hammerless, the rebounding lock of 

 which is composed of four pieces. This is, so lar, as we 

 know, the simplest mechanism employed in the lock of any 



I in- gan is. besides being a most beautiful piece of work, 

 a marvel of simplicity and saiety in its action. The old 

 style of mainspring having been entirely discarded, a 

 Straight piece of -teel is substituted in its place, this Bingle 

 piece acting at once as the mainspring and the cocking lever 

 The locks are very easily and automatically cocked by the 



the guu also automatically locks the triggers 6 surely 



that the gun cannot be prematun l.v discharged by any pos- 

 sible tampering with the triggers, and owing to the peculiar 

 motion Ol the sear, the bent or notch in the hammer is so 

 made that the sear hooks into it. this, wiih an additional 

 safety notch In the hammei renders a premature explosion by 



a jav also impossible. The hammer and scars arc very solid, 

 and the whole mechanism of the locks appears tfl u- io In 

 strong and durable, and not liable to gel out of order. 



Theoponiog lever, which also piotes the -automafii safety 

 slop which locks the trigger, is so placed thai it may be 

 easily reached by the forefinger of the right hand (or the 

 hand villi which the triggers are pulled), and after the gun 

 has been closed again and the shooter is ready to discharge 

 il. the same ringer removes the safety catch and unlocks the 

 trigger; The top of the gun, of course, is entirely free 

 from projections of any kind. Much ingenuity is displayed 

 by the maker in the various dc vices for ready compensation 

 oi i !■• wear of any of the pieces whi oh may In- exposed to 

 friction, In sleet. Prof . Hall's amateur-made gun has im- 

 pressed us as a beautiful piece oi mechanism. This arm. 

 by reason of iis simplicity, strength) durability, ease of 

 ui-i i< oi. and, we should add] grace of outline and beauty oj 

 finish, is one that cannot fail to interest all sportsmen who 

 may be so fortunate as to have the opportunity of inspecting 

 it. " 



The semi-hammer gun is in principle the same as the ham- 

 rnerless, save thai it is worked by lie. ■ semi-hummers, which, 

 while to one accustomed to the usual hammers they answer 



every purpose of the old stvlc do not rise above the li if 



sjghi on tin- top of the guru. 



To. prevent any possible misconception, wo repeal thai 

 Prof, Hall is a professional gentleman whose mechanical 

 work is his ret and recreation in leisure hours. He does 

 not make i;iuis to sell lie make- I hem to gratify hh Own 



tastes; ii i- hi- amusement, and a most sensible and satisfy 

 ig style of amusement. And bavin.,' made a gun he knows 



how to use it. To bring down a bird with a gun of one's 

 ,vn invention and construction is, perhaps, the highesl 

 ■ali/aiion of the truest pleasure of the in Id 



THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION. 



I.— -Illl.; UHHK INIIKH I V!,l-:\. 



THE'annual meeting of the California State 8) 

 Association, at San Francisco, lust .May, was noli. ..1 ill 

 Ihe time in this journal. The proceedings of Hie convention 

 wen- subsequently published in pamphlet form for distribu- 

 tion. From i lulu we give some extracts below, showing 



that.the association comprehends Ihe magnitude of the work 

 [thai undertaken, unti also affording gratifying evidence 

 thai the California sportsmen are hi earnesl in taking up and 

 carryhig through this important wort In a letter to us 



Mr. .1. Pitch' i Spooler lie- \ e) -y i-tti'i. id secretary Of Ike 



\--..i -iaiioi, says 



\o,ie.ili observe out Stale Vssoemtlou ha: much Tyorfc 

 in prospect as well a- in luuni and wi lake pleasun in saj 

 im.' thai v.e ,n |ust now becoming aware ol iln fact thai 

 oui work i- oi some import We titid ihe bojE' are Walt 

 ins up td the fact that onr, laws mual be observed and the 

 850 members ui our Association art; making strenuous efforts 

 to show violators tlint law- noi onlj exist, but are ruadefor 

 protection of game at certain seasons. Qui sportsmen are 

 thorough!} aiiie io i in- necessity or prompl action, and 



! Who made a line thing QOlj a war in. e by illicit 



• laic.-ho-i oi game noi find tfieiy vocation gong and them 

 : , raomentarj riangej of Hires; il tbe.1 misbehave 



convention we take thi fohowing as •wnl biting howthe in 

 llu.-nce of the society is becoming a power in ihe State; 



The few organized clubs nor belonging io ihe Association 

 are n.o-iK workinir under our Slate bylaws ami Constitu- 

 tion, and they pay bur body the honor of the compliment of 

 savin- "the State rules work well;" and these clubs ire com 

 posed of sportsmen who are eager in their motives of preser- 

 vation of our game and fish, and with our State Assonik'licm 

 Clubs haw- taken ihe pains to scatter your printed copies of 

 the game laws -wherever there seemed any reasonable good 

 opening. Wc are firm in tiie belief that our game laws are 

 noi understood. For it is a most diffloult mattt r to educate 

 our citizens to the fact that there is any wrong in killing a 

 deer, duck or quail, or taking from our streams a li-h any 

 lime they wish to. The idea seems to prevail thai game and 

 fish are freo of access in California any time of the year. A 

 letter from Ferndale. Humboldt county, says, under date of 

 January 23, 1882: "Deer, elk, .duck and quail are taken 

 whenever found, the whole year round, without any regard 

 at all to the law." In fact the feeling is so strongly im- 

 pressed that only last January, in a neighboring county to 

 San Francisco, it was clearly proven in Court that a party 

 was guilty of killing deer— killing more than one— of taking 

 deliberate aim, and firing and killing, and as cool as possi- 

 ble reloading and firing and killing again and again. This 

 evidence was most conclusive, and yet. to the surprise and 

 disgust of all our true sportsmen* the verdict-of an intelli- 

 gent jury was --Noi guilty." This case, well known to you 

 all as' lie'- Hardy case, has been commented on by abler pens 

 than most of us would suppose, and Iveii printed all over the 

 United States. Much good has accrued, and one. notable 

 conviction had in the MoCutchen case, tried at Santa Rosa, 

 September ■"'. 1881, for having in possession one dead female 

 deer or doe. M> Cuiel.en plead guilty, waived time and 

 was fined fifty dollars, which was paid' In this matter of 

 Inrnishina- evidence for Ibis trial, as well 8.8 eh.,-, attention 

 Io both it and the Hardy trial, your Btate Association made 

 itself well known, and io those two trials musl be giveu the 



credit for 111.- -eaiein ol velli-oh Ihe plsl sea-Oil. Thai 

 venison does come to our citieR is ndmillcd; bul nol as 

 Openly as formerly. That deer are killed— and killed lor their 

 hides'alon, — wc must admit; bul under the laws '- theA 

 now exist it is next to an impossi lihTy for a convict ion to be 

 had. In Shasta and Trinity counties' in 1879, according to 

 a reliable informant, there werp killed some 8,000 deer; in 

 1880 some 5,000; and so scarce ban they become in l.ssi 

 ihai lb.- sami parties could only -lay ::... 



m-irly 4.(|i.l0 hide- of deer, and another dealer almo-l as 

 many. You secretary would say further, knowledge of -o 

 strong a character came to the Association, that upwards of 

 a dozen letters were forwarded at one time to parties who 

 wen runnins deer with hounds. Some few. like the boy at 

 school whipped for catching flies, denied it, but "knew who 

 did let tin ir hounds run deer; and several wished to know 

 who is the special agent of our Association. Our special 

 agent is too good a sportsman to be deprived of his future 



usefulness lo Ihe Association; so tlief-plv that be live- "Over 

 \ on.! -r" must suffice. 



i'i San I'ja--.. . ome letters that you have seen printed : 



I leer are jo plentiful we must sit on guard allnightlong and 



protect the green stuff with a small arsenal to fire .very 

 quarter of an hour to scare away the pests. The Board of 

 Directors have gone to the. fountain head for the purpose of 

 carrying out Ihe law. bv distributing upwards of seven hun 

 dred and fifty copies of ihe game law.-, one to each poslorfl.ee 

 in California! one thousand copies of Ihe print. '1 game laws 



on d, liable board in railway cars and sleaiul lines alone. 



and by showiii» to the heads of corporations their liability if 

 found carrying contrary to lev the unseasonable game. And 

 to the crcdii ol these corporations we record with pleasure 

 the fact thai Ih.-ir receipts now on file hear to us something 

 moo i !,.,:. a plain reeeipi lor a piece of printed board. 



They show a keen sen-,., of appreciation of tin- ellorts of our 

 Association, and bear to "- thelrwriiicn cxpi-c-sionsolkindly 

 '■"!■" ■wi.-'.-n'v iii the matter of stopping this iUieil traffic. 



Wells, l'ar;-o A- Co. have given US a-i-lanc. ol a most, im 



pored kind. J. J. Valentin* !. q . uperinlcndcnt,. issued 

 io his subordinate officers througbuu! the ent.re State a copy 

 of the laws as regards gain..- and Bah, wiih explicit instruc- 

 tions in relation lie'' to. O.i'. illustration will show vou how 

 nicely it has worked altVMiy. 



(ti-ii. Williams, you all know, h.i ; lerjr I: n.le.l int.resls 



in the tule islands, Last July 1 was called on byTiis agant, 

 who stated: "Mr. Scsretary, liore is a tologram From :\n 

 agent al Placcrville; he has -'inn: tine mountain quail, 

 caught for the General, who wishes to propagate them on 

 his ranch: and genii. -meic (ten William- carts l"i them lb 



the best manner— 'but Wells, Farco & -Co. saj you a" not 

 going t" gel us in any -'rape with yourliva quail; -• :i n :" 



an. I .-how- .Mr. \',-,i. niin. ■'- order. '^Sbip QO livi W 'had 

 quail out of sea.-on ' "\'niv, Mr. Secretary, hen- is tbi.- 

 d is patch; it says 'Seesorric Stato spoit-oenV- \s.oiienon 



ollicer and getUS a permit.' Will you kindly help us to get 

 our quail r" We were only loo ha])])) to send a few uor.ls 

 in the name ..I the Association, which the agenl ol Wells 



FftTgO keep- for future re toronce, Several cases of like kind 



occurred, showing we were doing some little good in oiu 

 first year. I; has been everybody's privilege lien (..tor. lo 

 trap live quail for market, but now tne trappers find their 



You all i-emeii 

 bar 15 last. No 



i ih. 



ret thei 



Clu 



eke- Septetu- 

 ■i. I'iesid"iit 

 ■e to-day— in- 



last Ann whereloie I hi- -i.dden anil welcome change from 

 Ihe old legiliu--' 



. .in Board of Directors authorized a reward published of 



AMO foi the information and a], prehension leading to ROiivic- 

 Utm of an} person found vioiaiu.g i In- garni oi 

 Tin- ). .., publi-'hed ... the prqss Septemb- r ;; l»i ,i„ 

 Bauramento /; • San t iai.. is,,., Ofavm'cli, Wntsonvillc /'»..," 



. .11111111.' IhiU i«:irt(:tt. Yolo 3TaU, and Si. . 



ik/iLiaUui—AwA hII these papers kim tothefui] 



extent of tb..h space, on the goo 1 tbat might accrue b;, some 

 \\alehiuliM...s on tin pari . tion ICveiy club 



of -.ii.- A -•■■ i it.-. I. wa- also ■ .cii.ll. ui-ii itoterl tosleep -vitb 

 ..do. i Several arrests were made, bul i' was 



dm..-: impos .id. to gel an; «vitn i the nii.l Some 



tlioughl thai u iiat tin i flrsl called n dead wild dm I- might 



have i.e.'i, 1. 1 ,-hii ken. and kindred I.-.I iriiiii i\ lint a ",o"l. 



In-aithy scare ensued, and .... game was in tlxc fjEutrkcl until 



-.In- ii'.ih or I ill.. 1'hi-. i- of ii-"ll an aolaioWJodgme I 



same importance Publishing this offer ...I reM-.ir.l proved 

 a most decided accelerator. Bul several who made appliua 



ii . . : ■ v.-i-e. unl'oi'iunal. . in tlial tli.n- claim io ill.- reward 



could not !.ie recognized. One applicant who m -ule the ar- 

 rest of a party, on information furnished b\ members of the 

 "California" and "Gun Club" Witsquito huh to give up the 



claim, bin finally did 50 The in - esof th . aforemi a 



lioned clubs iiol'onlv itirnislieil lia.- cviden 

 entire credit of their good work to the Btat As* i iation and 

 also as generously waived their claim to the reward. Mar- 

 (ill"/, being- of easy access, was a favorite haunt wiih glim 

 ners, and several arrests were made, which wake the Tins 

 Unto the fact, "the States Bpurtsmafl members" do mean 



The firsl reward paid was to the "Los Angeles Club," for 

 the arrest and conviction of George Allen, for having in his 

 possession twenty-five quail, which had bees Mapped - , This 

 club employed a detective, and received the ieu'.i.-.| ■.,. wa- 

 tts due. 



The second reward paid wis t.0 J. I>. Tcsterman and G. 

 W. Moore, of San Mateo, for the arrest and conviction of 

 Charles George, for trapping quail. Said Charles George 

 was senteneeil io thirty .lays sequestration in the county 

 jail, thai sufficient time for meditation might be given, null 

 it had a most wholesome effect on sundry trappers, for here 

 too the pnblicpress gehorously came tooUr aid, and gave 

 the facts of the case itie publicii\ ; and in this case we find 

 the feelings of the public so dormant in the mailer of 

 whether the laws are kept or not, that your Association's 

 Counsel was, per force of circumstances, obliged to proceed 

 without any assistance -at all from the District Attorney in 

 thecase, no! that vour counsel was lacking in ability or 

 zeal, but because the District Attorney thought the whole 

 matter of slight importance. However, the resuH was 

 ample, and coming so soon after the Santa Boss doe case 

 and the conviction in Los Angeles, gave our Assoeiaiion at 

 once some considerable standing, ic places whete W0 leasj 

 expected. 



Reward No; 8 was paid to James Brown, congtable, and 

 Oscar Atwood, deputy sheriff at San Joaquin. The-- gen- 

 tlemen have spent considerable time and money trying to 



break up the nefarious practii f chines,- rtsliiug, Save 



made numerous arrests, and been oui of pockel every time, 



•John' taking the jail rathei than pay a fine; but this time 



. ... -;i. 1881 1, .I. ■ . ( "'■• -• ■" employer and his 



two employes, the latter, of com--, could noi be held, but 



the boss paid $50 line and $13 ci -'- Si then Lhi -< same 



industrious officials have arrested and convicted two more 

 sets of Chinese for illicit fishing: Thi- nci'ari.m- vocation is 

 destined to snip our si reams of every Bah, unless wc make 



con-ianl war on it: and What cannot be sold of Ii -h li.i. 



i- sent to ('anion. We would 'no -i earnestly beg to im 

 press those of our membors who are likely to have It voice 

 in the councils of our Stale ul Sacramento, thai, more ,].eeial 

 legislation on this score would meel the entire approbation 

 of our sportsmen. Other convictions lot violations uiiisli laws 

 have been made among them, one by Deputy Fish Commis- 

 sioner Louis Levy, of Sonera, for blasting wi'th iriaul powder 

 in the stream Cor the purpose ol killing fish party was Shed 

 s.'.n J. 8. Clark, of Modesto, secured convWtion of two 

 • th Chinese) fpr fishing ■Min set nils; both pai lie- 

 lined $50 each. Nets of all manner of description arp used 

 nnd in large number.-, despite the inerea.-ing destruction ol 

 them by our sportsmen wherever found, A fisherman told 



